AI speeds greenhouse strawberry breeding in new industry collaboration

A three-way partnership between agtech firm Heritable Agriculture, Italy’s Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV), and greenhouse grower Paul J. Mastronardi is applying artificial intelligence to accelerate strawberry breeding for controlled environment farming.

The program aims to develop varieties optimized for indoor and tabletop systems, combining CIV’s proprietary germplasm, Heritable’s simulation-based breeding models, and Mastronardi’s commercial production and retail infrastructure.

Strawberry breeding has traditionally been a slow, resource-intensive process designed for field conditions. The new effort replaces trial-and-error with predictive analytics that model plant performance before planting. The goal is to reduce development time and target traits better suited for greenhouse environments—such as fruit flavor, disease resistance, and yield consistency.

Heritable’s platform uses multi-omic data—genetic, environmental, and historical performance inputs—to identify promising genotypes and simulate outcomes. The system is species-agnostic and has been applied to tomatoes, spinach, and peppers.

“Indoor systems require genetics that perform predictably under artificial lighting, controlled humidity, and compact spacing,” said Mr. Mastronardi. “This collaboration aligns breeding objectives with real-world production needs.”

CIV, which has four decades of breeding experience, will use AI-based selection to expand its trait targets beyond traditional productivity and disease resistance. The firm has conducted testing across European and North American environments.

The partnership is working with North American retailers and intends to bring new varieties to market through existing distribution channels. The parties suggest that the model may serve as a blueprint for applying precision breeding to other crops grown under glass.

Academic observers say the move reflects broader shifts in horticulture. “The integration of AI into breeding pipelines is now essential for speed, precision, and alignment with market demands,” said Professor Bruno Mezzetti of Marche Polytechnic University, who advises the project.

While the immediate focus is strawberries, the partners expect the underlying platform to support diversification and cost reduction across other indoor-grown produce lines.